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HTC patent shows a new, spring-loaded clamshell design

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 02:54 PM PST

HTC’s no stranger to stuffing ridiculous mechanisms into smartphones. I mean, have you seen the HTC Tilt — or better yet, the HTC Universal?

Looks like they’re at it again, if this just unearthed patent is any indication.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

Video game inspired skateboard decks

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST

Artist Logan Zawacki (what a fun name!) put together some pretty impressive game-themed skateboard decks for the I'M BOARD skateboard art show held earlier this week in Florida.

Zawacki created four decks in all, each with the following theme: Mega Man, Super Mario Bros. 3, Street Fighter II, and TMNT: The Arcade Game. If you look really closely at each deck, too, you'll notice that a bunch of the characters are riding skateboards themselves.

Cool stuff. More photos over at ALBOTAS.

Sick Video Game Inspired Skateboard Designs for the I'M BOARD Skateboard Art Show [albotas.com]

Because of leaks, we need to immediately implement DRM on console games

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 01:15 PM PST

It’s time we start implementing DRM on console games. I mean, look at this nonsense. The Xbox 360 version of BioShock 2 leaked yesterday, a full five days before its official release. The same thing happened with Mass Effect 2, which leaked something like six days for the Xbox 360 before its official release. Since publishers are so keen to treat PC gamers like filthy thieves, I say we start implementing annoying DRM on console games, too.

Granted, the differences between PC games and console games are such that you’d need to implement different forms of DRM, but here’s a few ideas.

• Game discs will be permanently linked to consoles. No taking that new game you just bought to your friend’s house to play there!

• On every disc is a special phone number that you need to call to get permission to play the game (phone centers open only from 9-5pm EST)

• To prevent online cheating, all game saves will be stored on, and only on, the publisher’s servers

• You need to sign up for four different “value enhancement” accounts in order download any and all DLC, which will then be linked to your social security number (or equivalent)

• Any game discs inserted into a console before the approved release date will result in a temporary console lockout, rendering your video game console inoperable until publishers’ technicians come to your house to verify that you are, indeed, a legitimate owner

These are just a few measures that can be taken to prevent console piracy. I mean, if we’re going to keep pretending that all PC gamers are pirates because the games are easily available only, well, why not take the same stance with console gamers? Surely, in 2010, it’s just as easy to burn an Xbox 360 game to a blank DVD as it is to mount an ISO of a PC game? Or do publishers think that flashing an Xbox 360 disc drive so it can run pirated games is beyond the abilities of your average 16-year-old kid?

Microsoft to kill Xbox Live support for original Xbox games on April 15

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 12:30 PM PST

Microsoft will kill Xbox Live support for original Xbox games. Rumor has is that this is being done to increase the numbers of friends you can have on Xbox (360) Live. Right now it’s at 100 people—a limit imposed by old Xbox architecture—, but clearly you need more.

The switch will be flipped on April 15—Tax Day here in the U.S.—and from then on, no Xbox Live for your orignial Xbox.

The move will also affect Xbox Live Originals played on Xbox 360.

Let’s be clear: you can still play your original Xbox games, you just can’t use them on Xbox Live.

The biggest original Xbox game still being played on Xbox Live is Halo 2, where some 3,500 people still play the game regularly, according to some place I forget.

Xbox Live launched in November, 2002. I was 16 at the time, and picked up Xbox Live on day one—I wisely predicted that it would be sold out at Best Buy, so I picked it up from Circuit City— and played Unreal Championship online like it was my job for a while there. I was pretty good! Oh, memories.


FarCry, Far Cry 2 $15 bundle on Steam this weekend

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 11:45 AM PST

Stupid Steam, making me spend money whenI had no intention of doing so. This weekend’s deal is the FarCry collection, which includes FarCry and FarCry 2: Fortune’s Edition (includes DLC and other bonus items). (Of course, you could have just visited that Web site I mentioned the other day.) It costs $15. Yeah, I can part with $15 to have those two games in my ever-growing collection. Note the use of the word “have”: I still have BioShock, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Final Fantasy XII to beat, to say nothing of World of Warcraft, before I get into these FarCry games. Sigh.

Video: Nokia N900 + SNES Emulator + PS3 Controller = Portable geek bliss

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 11:45 AM PST

I’ll admit it: When the oh-so-damned-clever coding community managed to get an SNES emulator running on the N900 at fullspeed with features like TV-out, I got all kinds of excited. Hell, even Nokia was excited about it until they got smacked by the Mighty Hand of the Law for showing it.

Well, it just got even better.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

AT&T may have fibbed regarding Sling player for iPhone

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 11:15 AM PST

Just the other day, AT&T announced that it was able to work with Sling Media in order to optimize Sling player for AT&T’s 3G network. That’s good news for consumers and all, but it appears as though AT&T might have been doing a little posturing to make itself look like the good guy. After all, Sling users were disappointed about the lack of a Sling player on the iPhone when the application had been avaiable on BlackBerry for some time – and on AT&T’s network, no less.

Read the rest of this entry at MobileCrunch>>

eSATA is faster than USB 3.0 — at least right now

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 11:00 AM PST

Most hardware manufacturers are finally rolling out USB 3.0 devices. We’ve seen motherboards, hubs, hard drives, and notebooks all rocking the new and improved USB standard. It’s clearly the future of USB with backwards compatibility, dramatically faster speeds and full-duplex data transfers. That’s great, but it’s still not faster than eSATA right now.

Testing parameters: These numbers were gathered using HD Tune Pro 4.01. I also timed an 8.34 GB file transfer onto the drive for real world results. The two external drives were 7200 RPM models, while the internal was a 5400 RPM drive. I would have liked to show the Western Digital MyBook 3.0’s results as well, but the drive and HD Tune Pro didn’t get along. Check out the review for a comparison between the Seagate PS110 — it’s just slightly faster.

Of course USB 3.0 brings a host of other improvements over the 2.0 spec and eSATA. It’s dramatically more power efficient, allowing more power-hungry bus-powered devices and better power management when devices are idle. USB 3.0 also can theoretically hit 600 MB/s. But right now it’s not the ultimate external data transfer protocol. That title belongs to eSATA.

This will likely change over the next few years as computer hardware catches up to USB 3.0. The situation is nothing new. Most up and coming technology is limited by current hardware. USB 2.0 went through the same thing years ago. But if you’re looking for a reliable and fast external hard drive right now, forget USB 3.0 and instead look at eSATA drives.

World’s first Twitter party? Ron and Fez Super Bowl Twitter party this Sunday (and you can win knissors!)

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 10:15 AM PST


Look at all these prizes~!

This may be a first: a Twitter Super Bowl party! Sirius XM’s Ron and Fez is having some sort of Twitter party celebrating The Big Game. Trivia, prizes, virtual booze, Chris Stanley passed out at a speakeasy in Long Island City—what more could you want? Oh, that’s not enough for you? Then how about a pair of knissors signed by East Side Dave McDonald, whom I interviewed last summer?

It’s pretty easy to join the fun. All you have to do is follow @202Friends, the radio show’s Twitter feed. Once Sunday rolls around, be sure to check the feed for trivia questions. The first to answer, wins. Done and done.

There’s other prizes besides the knissors, not that you’d need anything other than knissors, or course. You can be in the running for sports goodies signed by true legends like Jerome Bettis, Michael Strahan, and Bruce Jenner. There’s also items signed by Bill Cosby and Aubrey Plaza, who plays April on Parks and Recreation. She’s a fellow NYU alum, so that’s neat.

So yeah, a Twitter Super Bowl party. This is truly the future.


Fans to choose next Madden Curse victim

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 09:30 AM PST

If I were Jared Allen, Drew Brees, or Reggie Wayne, I'd run screaming from Doritos and EA Sports. Whether you believe in the Madden Curse or not, the fact remains that just about every player that's appeared on the cover of one of EA Sports' Madden games has suffered a serious injury or seen his once-dominant playing ability severely decline.

So for Madden NFL 11, Doritos and EA have teamed up to let football fans "log on to www.doritoschangethegame.com to vote daily for one of three nominees for the Madden NFL 11 cover." The nominees, of course, being Jared Allen, Drew Brees, and Reggie Wayne.

Here's a brief rundown of past victims of the Madden Curse. Madden titles are a year ahead, so Madden NFL 10, for instance, came out right before the 2009 NFL season started.

Madden NFL 10: Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald. This marked the first time two athletes had appeared on the cover together. Polamalu sprained his MCL in the first game of the season, missed four games, returned for three more, and then injured his PCL to knock him out for the rest of the season. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, had a pretty good year. So maybe the only way to break the curse is to have two people on the cover. Even then, though, there's still a 50-50 chance of being cursed.

Madden NFL 09: Brett Favre. Seeing as though Favre is the Chuck Norris of professional football, it looked like the curse had finally been broken. However, Favre fell apart in the second half of the season after suffering an injury to his throwing arm.

Madden NFL 08: Vince Young. Pretty good 2007 season, but injured his knee in the first game of the 2008 season. Then he ran away from home. As a grown-up. Then he didn't play again until mid-way through the 2009 season.

Madden NFL 07: Shaun Alexander. Missed much of the 2006 season after breaking his foot, then broke his wrist during the first game of the 2007 season, sprained his knee and ankle in Week 9, was cut from the Seahawks in April 2008. Remained unsigned until October 2008, was picked up by the Redskins, who cut him a month later. He hasn't played since.

Madden NFL 06: Donovan McNabb. Knocked out halfway through the season with a herniated disc in his back, the Eagles finish in last place and miss the playoffs for the first time in years.

Madden NFL 2005: Ray Lewis. Also like the Chuck Norris of football, Lewis did an admirable job of keeping the Madden Curse at bay. He had a relatively uninspiring 2004 season, but that's about it. No major injuries or anything like that.

Madden NFL 2004: Michael Vick. Broke his leg, missed the first 3/4 of the season. Then all that dog-related stuff happened. Not that the dogs had anything to do with Madden.

Madden NFL 2003: Marshall Faulk. Recorded his worst season since 1996.

Madden NFL 2002: Daunte Culpepper. Minnesota finishes 5-11, Culpepper misses four games, worst Vikings record since 1984.

Madden NFL 2001: Eddie George. No injuries and a pretty good 2000 season. In 2001, though, Tennessee finished 7-9 and George didn't break 1000 yards rushing.

Madden NFL 2000: Barry Sanders. Only kinda, sorta appeared on the cover. Whatever the case, he unexpectedly retired before the season even started.

Madden NFL 99: Garrison Hearst. Only appeared on certain covers, broke his ankle in a playoff game so severely that he missed two seasons.

So looking back on the 10+ years of Madden cover athletes, it seems that a few have dodged major bullets but most have experienced a mysterious dark cloud overhead. And judging by the three finalists for this Doritos thing, I'd venture a guess that Drew Brees may get the nod, especially if his team wins the Super Bowl on Sunday.

At any rate, I'd politely decline if I were Allen, Brees, or Wayne. And if that didn't work, I'd decline with shouting and arm flailing. Voting ends March 15th.

Doritos Presents: Change the Game [Voting Site]

Speed up your Nook with firmware v1.2 right now

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 08:45 AM PST

B&N has started rolling out firmware v1.2 for the Nook. Early reports indicate that pages load noticeably faster and the touchscreen screen interface is a bit more responsive. Unfortunately there isn’t a way to force the update. You just going to have to wait until your Nook says there’s an update available.

Update Barnes and Noble just sent us the following statement…

Automatic over the air (OTA) updates, which do not require any action from nook customers, are underway and will be conducted seamlessly over the next week. nook customers can also immediately download the new version at www.nook.com/support, where additional update and technical support information is available.

Hopefully that clears up any confusion any of y’all might have. Happy trails.

Reebok’s ZigTech likened to ‘an energy drink for your feet’

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST

Oh-kaaay. So Reebok has developed something called ZigTech – basically a zig-zag type foam for running shoes that's supposed to ease the load on your leg muscles. And one of the first snippets from the press release is, "ZigTech allows your key leg muscles to do less, so you can do more. Simply put, it's like an energy drink for your feet."

And the title of the press release is "Reebok Debuts ZigTech – An Energy Drink for Your Feet…" The shoes will be available for $100 on March 11th and "The launch will be supported by a major marketing campaign including TV, print and online advertising."

I'm curious to see if Reebok sticks with the "energy drink for your feet" angle for this upcoming marketing blitz since it's so bat-shit crazy it might work.

As for the actual technology:

"Everything about Reebok's ZigTech footwear is designed to conserve and return energy to the athlete for a soft and springy ride. The one-of-a-kind ZigTech bottom unit features an innovative, lightweight foam that is engineered into a dramatic, geometric, zig-zag shape. This unique zig-shaped sole absorbs the impact of heel strike and sends a wave of energy along the length of the shoe to help propel the athlete forward with each step."

There are apparently "hundreds" of athletes who train in the ZigTech shoes, including Peyton Manning, Chad Ochocinco, Santonio Holmes, David Ortiz, Allen Iverson, and more.

Full press release:

Reebok Debuts ZigTech – An Energy Drink for Your Feet…

CANTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–What would you do if you had more energy? Run faster? Train longer? On March 11th, Reebok allows athletes to find out with the highly anticipated launch of ZigTech, the brand's most technically advanced running and training shoe. ZigTech allows your key leg muscles to do less, so you can do more. Simply put, it's like an energy drink for your feet.

Everything about Reebok's ZigTech footwear is designed to conserve and return energy to the athlete for a soft and springy ride. The one-of-a-kind ZigTech bottom unit features an innovative, lightweight foam that is engineered into a dramatic, geometric, zig-zag shape. This unique zig-shaped sole absorbs the impact of heel strike and sends a wave of energy along the length of the shoe to help propel the athlete forward with each step.

"Traditional energy return is focused only on the vertical impact of the heel strike," said Reebok's Head of Advanced Innovation, Bill McInnis. "In contrast, ZigTech is designed to transfer energy horizontally along the zigs so the athlete gets that energy back in the forefoot."

The lightweight, flexible bottom unit, minimalist upper, and whisper-quiet ground contact also contribute to making ZigTech a new standard in running and training footwear. In fact, by wearing Reebok's ZigTech footwear, training longer just got easier. The technology causes up to 20% less wear and tear on key leg muscles, especially the shins and hamstrings.

"Shin splints are extremely common for pro athletes like me," said NFL superstar Peyton Manning. "Wearing ZigTechs give players a bounce, an energy that lets us train longer with less strain on key leg muscles, like shins. This ultimately enables athletes to stay healthier during the season."

Reebok's ZigTech footwear collection is available for men and women in an array of bold, bright colors that will truly stand out in the gym. Edgy, trend setting athletes like football phenom Chad Ochocinco are big fans of the aggressive design. "I had my ZigTechs in the locker room and all my teammates were trying to check them out," said Ochocinco. "ZigTechs stand apart from any training shoe out there. They are bold and confident, perfect for an athlete like me."

Manning and Ochocinco are joined by last year's Super Bowl MVP, Santonio Holmes, 2008 Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, World Series star pitcher Andy Pettitte, Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, Stanley Cup winner Sidney Crosby, NHL All-Star Alexander Ovechkin, boxing great "Sugar" Shane Mosley, basketball icon Allen Iverson, home run king David Ortiz, soccer standouts Thierry Henry and Ryan Giggs, and hundreds more athletes who run and train in Reebok's ZigTech footwear.

ZigTech debuts at major retailers including Dick's Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, Finish Line and on Reebok.com on March 11, 2010 for a suggested price of $100. The launch will be supported by a major marketing campaign including TV, print and online advertising. To learn more, visit Reebok.com/zigtech.

CrunchDeals: $78 Magnavox Blu-ray player

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:30 AM PST

Most Blu-ray players are resting comfortably well north of the $100 mark, but not this Magnavox. It’s only $78 and it really does play Blu-ray movies. However, there’s a bunch that it can’t do, because, well, it’s only $78.

We’ve featured this player before, but it’s probably best to run through it’s limitations again.

  • No BD Live
  • No Profile 2.0
  • No Ethernet port
  • No HD Audio modes

However, it does have an HDMI port, digital audio port, and an SD card slot. It’s really not a bad player for someone who that just wants to enjoy Blu-ray movies on their HDTV and couldn’t care less about surround sound or interactivity. [Walmart]

Separate Keitai: Meet Japan’s sexiest new handset (videos)

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:00 AM PST

For years, Japan was the innovation leader in the cell phone industry, until South Korea and the US started catching up rapidly. If you look back at what Nippon's mighty carriers have released in the past few months, you mainly see super-powerful handsets with large OLED screens, 12MP cameras, Blu-ray recorder connectivity, double digital TV tuners, etc. But the form factor never really changes, as the majority of Japanese consumers still demands clamshell phones with jog dials enabling them to conveniently thumb-text emails. But if a country churns out 100 different handsets per year, there have to be some exceptions. And the most notable exception (that now has been priced and dated) is Fujitsu's F-04B featuring the world's first separable two-module body.


Video: How vinyl records are made

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:00 AM PST


Vinyl records are making a comeback. Yeah, in the world of instant music downloads and portable music, a lot of music fans are falling in love with vinyl – again. Make found a fantastic five minute video showing the process Gotta Groove Records employs. It really seems like a relatively simple process, requiring only a few machines. Click through to watch the video and gain a bit of respect for the music lovers whose passion brings us vinyl records.

CrunchDeals: 50 piece Chicken McNuggets bucket for $10 this weekend

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 06:30 AM PST

Now THAT is a lot of Chicken McNuggets. Like, so many that the Hamburglar might actually consider a) switching briefly to chicken instead of hamburgers and b) paying the $10 instead of going to all the trouble of trying to conceal a gigantic bucket of chicken under his cape.

And just to give you a head start, you'll apparently be able to get this deal starting tomorrow even though it's a loose tie-in with the Super Bowl. So, tomorrow and Sunday, 50 Chicken McNuggets for $10. In a huge bucket. To share with others, hopefully.

[via FatWallet]

Photo via J. Lau

Aliens vs Predator multiplayer gameplay demo

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 05:57 AM PST


Oh, man, the new AVP is good fun. You’ve downloaded the demo, right? It’s free on Steam right now. Sure, some people are bitching about lack of dedicated servers and the dated graphics, but it’s FUN. Just watch the video above to see what I mean.
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